Russell Wilson throws cold water on trade rumors amid Commanders buzz

The Washington Commanders‘ quest to find a franchise quarterback hit a snag over the weekend when it was reported that Aaron Rodgers doesn’t fancy the idea of playing in the nation’s capital. It’s also understood Green Bay wouldn’t dream of trading the two-time defending MVP within the conference.

While Rodgers was always viewed as a shot in the dark, it definitely stings knowing the Commanders have zero shot of landing him. But hey, at least Washington can turn its attention to another future Hall of Famer, right?

Of course, we’re referring to Russell Wilson. Based on the reports we’ve seen, he’s the Commanders’ top target this offseason.

It’s extremely encouraging to know the front office is literally shooting for the stars in its quarterback search, but it takes two to tango and it’s not currently definitive whether or not Wilson wants out of Seattle.

Wilson has hinted at the possibility, saying he wants to “explore his options” this offseason, but he threw a wet blanket on the trade rumors and buzz linking him to Washington during a Tuesday appearance on The TODAY Show.

Commanders trade target Russell Wilson didn’t sound keen on leaving Seattle on The TODAY Show.

Wilson was directly asked by host Craig Melvin about coming to Washington and whether the idea of playing close to home (he’s from Richmond, VA.) could convince him to depart Washington state for Washington, DC. Here’s what he said.

"“I love the East Coast but I think the West Coast is better for me right now. I got my whole family over here. I’m from Richmond, I know what you mean, I got people hitting me up every day, all my friends and all that from the East Coast, but Seattle’s the place I’m at right now and I love it.”"

There’s a lot to take away from this 30-second snippet. For starters, we wouldn’t overreact to Wilson dismissing the idea of joining Washington. When referring to wanting to remain in Seattle, the star quarterback said “right now.” In other words, he didn’t fully close the door on requesting a trade.

Additionally, he was never going to reveal his future plans during a feel-good interview on The TODAY Show alongside his wife Ciara. We give Melvin credit for not pulling any punches with his question, but Wilson, whether he was posturing or not, is too calculated to lift the proverbial curtain in this setting.

At the same time, Wilson’s response should serve as a timely reality check for Washington and its fans. The team can’t sit idly by and hope he forces his way out of Seattle. That’s not to say it should commit to another QB, but exploring other fallback options would be the responsible course of action.

That would certainly explain the rumors linking free agent Mitchell Trubisky to Washington, but we really, really hope it doesn’t come to that.